Each month we interview a First Officer of the fleet as part of our “First Officer in Focus” column to get to know them better, and learn more about what their positions entail.
This month, we’re interviewing the First Officer of the starship USS Chin’toka, Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock, a pregnant Human female.
DeVeau: We’ve learned a little about you in previous interviews. Would you tell us a bit about the revitalisation projects you’re involved in? What do they mean to you and why?
Sherlock: Yeah, so, right after I moved to Monongahela I got involved with a non-profit here that specializes in primarily building projects. Our main goal is to assist financially in getting those older buildings around town fixed up and usable for local small businesses and housing. Through that organization I’ve met more than a few others and been invited to work on similar projects. Most of them are there to help bring attention to the various town’s history, hoping to build interest in them. Right now it’s the slow season because winters here just aren’t really conducive to those kinds of projects, but last summer I was a part of a mural project honoring our town founder and this coming year we have a couple more that have been in the works.
I love history and stories. Where I live now has a lot of both. Getting to be a part of these projects that help to tell the stories of those that came before us means a lot to me. I’ve met some amazing people through it who’ve shared their stories with me. There’s something about never wanting to forget the past, especially with recent life events for me, that really motivates me to keep passing it on. We are the culmination of our experiences and stories and I don’t want anyone’s to be forgotten.
You and your character have gone through a lot of changes over the last year, which includes becoming First Officer. How have you both adjusted to that position, and what are some things you wish you had known before you accepted the role?
It was a shock. There’s no other way to put it. Launching a new ship so soon after transferring, new Captain, newly assembled crew…and that’s all before you factor in all the things you suddenly are a part of at the fleet level and that’s required of you as a First Officer. All at once, it’s a lot. No matter how prepared you think you are or what you think you’ve been taught to expect, you just don’t know. In my four years in the Fleet I think I’ve only seen one other new ship launch and that was the Ronin. I can’t speak for Raga, but I think we have a unique perspective of becoming a First Officer. Most others have been on their ship a while and written with the same crew. I imagine that makes things quite a bit easier. So, if you’re thinking about moving up, take this into consideration in if you can handle having so much thrown at you all at once…because simming comes first.
I was very lucky, however, in that I got a lot of messages from other Fleet Staff members with a lot of advice and encouragement. Not once have I ever felt like I was in this alone. So on those days when things are tough or days where you’re doubting yourself (and there will be), you’ve always got someone to go to. Just knowing they’re there is helpful enough. And for the really bad days, they are there. Jo Marshall (Em) gave me some advice that’s always on my mind: as much as you’re there to advocate for others, don’t forget your own character’s story. Having that in mind has always helped me find balance in my writing. Rivi Vataix (Rich) gave some advice that he got from Quinn Reynolds (Emma): simming, ship’s business, fleet business; in that order. As much as you’ll become overwhelmed some days, we are a writing group first and foremost, don’t forget that because you won’t be doing your crew any favors by not writing.
As for adjusting, I think I went in fast with confidence. Have confidence. If you’ve gotten there, it means people see something in you, it’s there and it’s something you can build on. Now, that said, that doesn’t mean you change how you’re doing things. Stick with what got you there. Like I said, there are good days and bad days. Luckily, the good well outnumber the bad. I’ve learned a lot of patience working through some of the bad days, with much help and way more patience of my Captain.
What are some responsibilities a First Officer has that people may not realise? How have your new responsibilities changed you as a player and a writer?
On the ship level, you’re kind of Director of Personnel. When you’re on ship staff, you should already be doing this, but you’re alway looking to make sure everyone’s active and that people are included. If someone starts a scene on shore leave and drops an ANY tag but everyone’s maxed out in scenes they can handle, you should jump in. If someone’s not been tagged into anything, you should be starting a scene with them. I’ve carried this through to being a First Officer and I also now try to empower other members of the crew to do the same so everyone’s looking out for one another. Writing-wise I’ve had to really focus on the fact that Aine is no longer a Security Officer. And ready or not, she’s got things she needs to address. For instance, on our last shore leave, she was playing ad hoc counselor in a couple different scenes. I made sure to reflect in the narrative that this wasn’t something she expected nor thought she was any good at, but she gave it a try and it seemed to work out okay.
One of the other things I don’t think people really expect is Fleet Staff level stuff. You’re suddenly thrust into that world and you feel a bit like an outsider. I think it’s only natural. But that being said you need to just get in there and participate.
Aine is pregnant with her first child. Has she had any unique pregnancy symptoms or cravings? Maybe strange dreams? Has any of this manifested out of character?
I feel like this is a loaded question…it’s a loaded question. If anyone reading this has been following the Oreo drama on Discord, you’ll know what I mean. For those that don’t know, a certain group of people teamed up to send me Oreos. Not like one package either. I’ve currently gotten around a dozen packages of Oreos, I think, I stopped counting. So yeah, you could say an IC incident has now manifested into an OOC one.
Those that have known Aine for the last four years know the girl likes to eat anything and everything. During her pregnancy that’s suddenly not an option. Most things make her sick. I’ve headcanoned, and will probably canonize it later, that what’s happened is that she actually has really poor taste buds but during pregnancy they’re suddenly working right and she can taste everything. This has led to some…interesting…interactions lately…over Oreos…which in turn led to quite the prank, including a dream sequence written by the culprits (which I actually really enjoyed).
Because of their position, Starfleet officers are constantly putting their lives at risk. Now that she’s pregnant, how does she mitigate those risks? Does she feel any guilt or fear? How does she deal with all that?
I had a plan for this, but things changed. We’ve only had one mission where she knew she was pregnant, but it was early enough she could still perform her duties. And with the next mission, where she’s very pregnant, we’re in an alternate timeline in the past as different people, and that person is not pregnant. So I haven’t had to address it. What I planned on doing was talking to Serala (Jim) and basically having Serala take the lead on away teams, keeping Aine on the bridge, which she would hate.
Aine’s had to deal with a lot, not just recently, but with trauma that’s occurred in the past – such as what happened to the USS Resolution. Please tell us what happened. What was her role at that time? How has she dealt with the aftermath of that event?
That’s classified…in character. So basically, the Resolution responded to a distress call aboard a station that was secretly/illegally developing a Genesis Device. In addition, there was a cell of Suliban terrorists (that had been infiltrated by SFI) trying to steal the device. We got the terrorists, but we lost the Resolution, which has now become a planetoid. At the time Aine had just become a Lieutenant and Chief of Security. She led the team that rescued one of our Doctors (who I also happen to take hostage with my MSPNPC) and ended up getting shot and nearly dying. She blamed herself for what happened to her and she blamed Sil for what happened to the Resolution, neither of which was fair. The PTSD from all of this was severe, mostly losing the Resolution, and I wrote that up for a couple years. Even bringing back the MSPNPC for a scene when I was on Ops. She got to watch his interrogation along with Alora and that was the first time she’d spoken to anyone about the incident, who wasn’t there. That was really the beginning of healing and letting go.
Now that Aine is a first officer, how would she have handled the situation on the Resolution differently? Do you think if she’d been FO back then she could have helped prevent it? Why or why not? How did it change her?
That’s a tough one. But I don’t think she could have changed a thing. I think it was in everyone’s destiny. The ship and crew was in a bad situation and all the right calls were made. To quote the great Jean Luc Picard, “It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life.”
I think she realized that. Prior, I’d say she was optimistic. After, she’s realistic. What they do is dangerous. There are going to be losses, and she knows and understands that now. But without being pessimistic. She’s much more adult at her age than I was at that age, that’s for sure!
Thanks for your time, Commander Sherlock!
You can read more about Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock on the wiki.
